by Tess Schoonhoven
COLUMBIA, SC (BP) – In light of COVID-19, many Baptist state conventions have canceled onsite women’s training events. But seven conventions have joined together to develop a virtual event this fall to provide encouragement and training for women in ministry.
The result – a training event called “One Day. One Focus.” – will be held Oct. 29 from 4-8 p.m. Central.
“We want women to recognize God has gifted them to serve just as it says in Ephesians 4, for the equipping of the saints,” event co-coordinator Ashley Allen said. “It’s for the unity of the body. So regardless of where we serve, we are to be unified in accomplishing one goal, and that’s making disciples. Every part of the body is needed. We need every woman serving as God has gifted her, in order to make disciples.”
Allen, who works in women’s ministry for North Carolina Baptists, joined other leaders Simone Lake with the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention, Beverly Skinner with the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, Carmen Halsey of the Illinois Baptist State Association, Amy Cordova with Oklahoma Baptists, Melanie Ratcliffe of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, Laura Taylor with the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and others to plan the event.
Registration begins Sept. 1 and is $10 per person. This includes access to all the sessions, led by more than 15 different women’s ministry consultants from various state conventions. Sessions will be available for the remainder of 2020 through the website.
The theme Scripture for the event will be Ephesians 4:1-16, with an emphasis on discipleship. Author Susie Hawkins will deliver the keynote address; Emily Rhyder of Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh, N.C., will lead worship.
SBC seminaries will hold three sessions to present options available for ministry training.
Wives of North American Mission Board (NAMB) church planters and women serving with the International Mission Board (IMB) will also hold breakout sessions. The registration fee will be waived for up to 500 women from each of these groups.
While the majority of the event will be pre-recorded, Allen said speakers will be available for live chat with attendees during their breakout sessions, and there will be a live “exhibit hall,” which will include SBC seminaries, NAMB and IMB participating from respective cities.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tess Schoonhoven is a Baptist Press staff writer
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